The Gunsite, while it looks like a Kimber or Springer, actually falls somewhere between K/S and the Baers/Wilsons. Think of it as Colt's answer to K/S, which means it has real parts. Neither the beavertail nor the thumb safety is made of jelly beans.
Nice as it is, I still think it's a shame that Colt doesn't put out a mid-level "loaded" 1911 to compete with K/S. Now that there's no XS model, you go from their gorgeous, old-school NRM basic model to the Gunsite, Special, etc. I won't mention the freak show that is the XSE.